5 questions with Japan expert Sheila A. Smith

Sheila A. Smith is senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. She spoke with the Asia Media Centre about Japan’s relationships with South Korea and China, and why we need a rethink of the region.

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The state of the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte

Following Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's fourth State of the Nation Address, University of Canterbury PhD candidate Andrea Chloe Wong shares her view of how his administration is doing as he enters the second half of his term.

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Q&A: Life as a freelance journalist in Japan

Thinking about pursuing a journalism career in Asia? Kiwi journalist Tao Lin is currently based in Tokyo, working as a freelance journalist and writer. Here, she shares what you need to know about being a freelance journalist in Japan.

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What has media in New Zealand been reporting about Asia? Here's a roundup of stories from the past week. 

• Umbrellas and metro tickets: Inside the Hong Kong protests
  1 NEWS
    
• Opinion: A day and night at the Hong Kong protests 
  1 NEWS
    
• Hong Kong dispute over China's extradition bill gets physical on University of Auckland campus
  NZ HERALD
    
• Universities get a lesson in democratic freedom 
  NEWSROOM
   
• Chinese consulate praises students in scuffle at Auckland University 
  STUFF
   
• Stop interfering in NZ's internal affairs: Act Party Leader to Chinese Consulate General 
  NZ HERALD 

• The Kiwi covering history at Hong Kong's protests 
  NEWSROOM
    
• Rugby: Andrew McCormick - The rising son with yen to spread rugby word
  NZ HERALD 

What stories about Asia got people talking this week? These are our picks for analysis and longer reads about the region.

Craving Freedom, Japan's Women Opt Out Of Marriage | The New York Times
Until recently, women in Japan who remained unmarried after the age of 25 were referred to as "Christmas cakes" — useless after the 25th. But a growing number of Japanese women are rejecting marriage in favour of high-flying careers, hobbies, travel and other markers of independence. 

Brownface and Racism in Singapore | New Naratif
A brownface controversy has dominated headlines in Singapore, after an ad campaign featured a Singaporean-Chinese actor dressed as characters from different ethnic groups. The city-state hails itself as a multiracial society. However, brownface is regularly used in advertising and popular media.

What the Criminalization of Instant Divorce Means for India's Muslims | The Atlantic
India has made it a crime for husbands to annul their marriage using "triple talaq", or instant divorce. Supporters of the legislation say it is needed to provide protection for Muslim women, while critics fear the change is yet another sign of the growing strength of India’s Hindu nationalism.

India: Food delivery app slams religious discrimination

Zomato India has called out one of its customers who complained on social media that their delivery driver wasn't Hindu. Zomato shared the customer's tweet with its own response: "Food doesn't have a religion. It is a religion."

China: Military video appears to be a warning to Hong Kong

China's military has released a video which shows armed troops carrying out drills and cracking down on protestors. The dramatic video, which was posted on Weibo, has been interpreted as a warning to protestors in Hong Kong. 

Indonesia: Jakarta hit by major power blackout

Tens of millions of people in Indonesia's capital lost power for more than nine hours on Sunday in one of the worst blackouts to hit the megacity. The hashtag #matilampu (power failure) was trending as people took to social media to vent.